1. Technical Field
This invention relates to elevators in general and elevator cars in particular.
2. Background Art
Elevators have doors that have been configured in basically the same ways for many years: each elevator car has one or more center or side opening doors to protect passengers as the car moves; and each landing has one or more hoistway doors that are configured similarly to the car doors to prevent passengers from entering the hoistway when the car is not at the landing. Some landings utilize a single hoistway door that pivots open and shut like a house door.
In narrow hoistways, side-opening doors are used because there is no room on either side of the elevator car for center opening doors. Some side-opening doors, particularly those that operate at two speeds may require more frequent maintenance and repair.
The elevator car is usually box shaped having a pair of front walls defining an opening enclosed by the car doors, a back wall, and a pair of sides walls connecting at right angles.